3-day workshop for folk artistes starts

malda: A 3-day workshop for folk artistes of the three districts of Malda, North and South Dinajpur was flagged off on Monday at Durgakinkar Sadan under the English Bazar Police Station.

The programme has been organised by the Lokasanskriti and Adivasi Sanskriti Kendra of the Government of West Bengal in association with the department of Information and Cultural Affairs. A total of 180 participants, 60 each from the three districts, will be taking part in the programme. Popular folk art forms like Gambhira of Malda, Khan Pala Gaan of North Dinajpur will be performed by various artistes. Senior artistes have been invited to the event to exchange their views on the advancement and growth of these art forms.Koustav Tarafdar, the additional director and secretary of the Kendra, said: “It started with Lok Prasar Prakalpa taken up by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2014 and now almost 1 lakh 90 thousand artistes are getting the benefit. These artistes have made government welfare schemes like Kanyashree, Lakshmir Bhandar immensely popular among the masses. This is a platform for performing arts and for exchange of ideas to strengthen and enhance these art forms.”

The participants will get free accommodation with food and a remuneration of Rs 1000 each for the workshop.Rafiqul Hossain, Sabhadhipati of Malda Zilla Parishad, said: “The programme is aimed to enliven all the folk art forms of Bengal and to give our ears to the needs and demands of

the artistes.”